Mechanical pencil and method of making it



Dec. 22, 1936. s. E. LlNToN, JR

MECHANICAL PENCIL AND METHOD OF MAKING IT Filed Aug. 6, 1936 gmc/Mor Patented Dec. 22, 1936 UNITED STATS ATENT OFFICE MECHANICAL PENCIL AND IWETHOD F MAKING IT Claims.

This invention relates to pencils of that type in which the lead is propelled at intervals beyond the pointed end element of the pencil by rotating the barrel with relation to said pointedend or to the cap, such pencils having therein a spiral element 'and a central tube for containing the lead, the tube being provided with a follower engaging the spiral element so that as the barrel is turned with relation to the extremity of the pencil, the follower engaging the screw will force the lead out. Particularly, this invention relates to a lmethod. of making pencils of this type.

The main object of my invention is to simplify the manufacture of these pencils so as to greatly reduce the cost thereof without in any way reducing the quality of the pencil and particularly to form the barrel of two grooved sections of wood or composition, placing the pencil propelling mechanism within the groove of one section and pressing the other section of the barrel down upon the propelling mechanism so that the spiral which constitutes the screw of the propelling mechanism shall be forced into and slightly embedded in the material of the barrel and into the glue coating the faces of the two sections.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

, My invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevationof the complete pencil;

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical section on the line 2 2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a face view of a slab or slat of wood or composition formed with a plurality of grooves for the reception of the propelling mechanism of the pencil;

Figure 5 is a like View to Figure 4, but showing the spiral, central tube and the conical metal extremity of the pencil with the spiral forced into the groove in the wood and embedded there- 1n;

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view through two slabs pressed against each other and holding a plurality of propelling mechanisms within the grooves of the slabs;

Figure 7 is an enlarged View showing in an exaggerated manner the way in which the spiral of the propelling mechanism is embedded in the wood or composition.

Referring to the drawing, particularly to Figure 2, it will be seen that the complete pencil comprises a barrel I0 of wood, composition or like material, this barrel being tubular. Extending (ci. 12o-18) longitudinally through the barrel is a small metallic tube II which at one end terminates in a pointed conical metallic head I2 formed with the annular recesses I3. This head I2 is provided with a central bore through which the lead I4 extends. Disposed within the bore of the tube II is a follower I5. The tube II is formed with a longitudinally extending slot I6 and the follower is provided with two outwardly projecting lugs I'I which extend through this slot. Surrounding the tubular member II and disposed within the bore of the barrel I0 is a spiral I8 of wire which constitutes a screw. The lugs I'I extend into this wire spiral so that if the barrel I0 be held and the head I2 be rotated, the follower will travel up or 15 down the spiral, depending upon the direction of rotation. Disposed upon the end of the barrel opposite the head I2 is a cap I9 having a central bore, and within this cap is a washer 20. The tube II extends through the central opening of the cap and is iianged over upon the washer, as at 2 I. This cap is provided with a small lug 22 which engages in the slot I6 of the tube I I, so that when the cap is rotated, it will cause a rotation of the tube I I. A rubber eraser 23 is carried by the cap 25 in the usual manner. So far, I have described mechanism which is well known.

My invention does not relate to the details of construction of the propelling mechanism of the pencil itself but to the method of completing such pencil by engaging the propelling mechanism with the barrel. In completing pencils of this type, a board, slat or slab of wood, or composition, designated A in Figure 4, is formed with a plurality of longitudinal parallel grooves a. The slab or board has a length equal to the distance between the inner end of the head I2 and the nal turn of the spiral I I, as shown in Figure 5. 'Ihe central tube Ill with the spiral I I is placed in one of the grooves a of one slot with the head I2 abutting against 40 one end of the slat. There are a plurality of grooves in the slab A and each one of these groovess is tted with the propelling mechanism of one pencil until all of the grooves are filled. The surface of a slab A is then coated with glue and pressed against the slab A in the manner shown in Figure 6, and the two slabs are forced together so tightly that the spiral I I is forced into the relatively soft wood or composition, so as to be slightly embedded therein, as shown in an eX- aggerated manner in Figure 7. When the glue is set so that the two slabs with the pencil propelling mechanisms therein are joined firmly, the conjoined slabs are cut, as shown by dotted lines in Figure 6 at a and the pencil is run through a 55 molding machine and the barrels cut out in any desired shape or size in cross-section either round, hexagonal or any other shape transversely. It is to be understoodv that the conjoined slats in the form shown in Figure 6 may be run through a molding machine and the barrels out out in any shape or size without necessarily rst dividing the slab into pencil sections, as shown by the dotted lines in Figure 6. After the barrels have been shaped into the desired form, they are then painted any color desired and ready for the attachment of the remainder of the pencil mechanism, namely, the attachment of the cap.

It is to be understood that when theV faces of the two sections A and A are covered with glue, a slight layer of glue is also applied in the grooves a and that thus when the two sections A and A are pressed together, the outer faces of the spiral I8 will be also embedded in this glue and rigidly connected to the sections of the wood or composition by the glue.

The above described process of manufacturing pencils will lower the cost of this pencil very greatly so that, as a matter of fact, these pencils maybe retailed at five cents whereas the cheapest similar mechanical pencil on the market retails for ten cents. This is because the barrel of a mechanical pencil is the most expensive single item of such pencils. These mechanical pencils are usually made by forming a bore through the body of composition and inserting the mechanism in the bore. In all of the spiral feeding mechanismsknown tofme, and I haveexamined all of the kleading makes of mechanical pencils, the

'. spiral is loose within the pencil barrel and the feeding mechanism is held in place by the point being attached to the barrel, the ferrule extendingVA down into ythe actual barrel and being attached to thespiral mechanism to properly propel thelead back and forth` Y While I have shown a spiral which is made of material that is circular in cross section, I wish it distinctly understood that thisl spiral might be made of material which is squareor which is at and broad.

' `What is claimed iszl. The method-"of lmaking pencils which consists-irillongitu'dinally grooving a slab of material, pressing avlead propelling mechanism into the groove, covering the face of Va second groovedslab with glue, placing this slab with the. grooves downward upon the iirst named slab, and pressing the two slabs against each other under a pressure which shall embed the propelling mechanism Within the grooves.

2. The method of making pencils which consists in forming a slab of wood or composition with a plurality of longitudinally extending parallel grooves, pressing a plurality of lead propelling mechanisms each into one of said grooves, covering the face of another slab with glue and placing the second slab in adhering engagement with the first named slab andv forcing the two slabs against each other with a pressure which shall embed the propelling mechanism into the walls ofthe grooves, then dividing the conjoined slabs to form pencil barrels and shaping the pencil barrels.

3. The method of making pencils which consists in forming a plurality of parallel grooves in a slab of material, disposing a lead propelling mechanism within said grooves, the propelling mechanism including a metallic spiral. the head of each propelling mechanism being disposed to abut against the end of the slab, `covering the grooved face. of a second slab with glue,'pressing it against the face of the first named slab with such force as to slightly embed the fspiral in the material of the two conjoined slabs, then cutting and forming a plurality of pencil'barrels from said conjoined slabs.

4. The method of making pencils which consists o in forming a plurality of parallel grooves in a slab of relatively soft material, disposing a lead propelling mechanism within said grooves, the mechanism including a metallic spiral, covering the grooved face of a second slab with glue and pressing it against the face of the rst named slab with such force as to slightly embed the spiralV in theV material of the two conjoined slabs and in the glue and then cutting and forming a plurality of pencil barrels from said conjoined slabs.

5. The method of making pencils which consists in forming a plurality of grooves in a slab of material, disposing lead propelling mechanisms within said grooves, which mechanism includes a metallic spiral covering the grooved face of a second slab. with glue and pressing it` against the face of the first named slab to thereby embed the spiral in the layer-of glue and then cutting and forming a plurality of pencil barrels from said conjoined-slabs, the glue when hardened holding the spiral from longitudinal movement.

' SAMUEL E. LINTON. Jn. 

